Tehran, January 6, 2024 (MRUD NEWS)—The preparatory meetings for the 29th 'Iran, Turkey Joint Economic Cooperation Commission' were held in Ankara during the visit of Iran Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Mehrdad Bazrpash, to Turkey on January 3, 2024. 

In this visit, there were meetings between heads of Iran and Turkey Joint Economic Commission, Bazrpash and Osman Aşkın Bak, the Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Republic of Turkey, and also Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey and Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure. 

At the beginning of this meeting, Hakan Fidan and Abdulkadir Uraloğlu expressed condolences for the death of Iranians in the terrorist attack in Kerman.

In the meeting, Bazrpash explained that Iran's Government places great importance to the development of comprehensive relations with its neighbors in the framework of the neighborhood policy and the Republic of Turkey has a special place and importance. 

He continued: "the cooperation of the two great powers of the region, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Turkey, in addition to maintaining mutual interests of the two countries, can bring peace, stability, security, development and prosperity in the region".

Referring to the target of $30 billion trade between Iran and Turkey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey said that this volume of trade can be achieved by increasing bilateral cooperation. 

Previously in October during the 100th anniversary of the creation of Republic of Turkey at the Turkish Embassy in Tehran, Bazarpash said: "the volume of trade between Iran and Turkey has increased to $13.4 billion; however, considering the high potentials of the two countries and the geopolitical and geoeconomic position of the two countries, this volume of trade between the two countries is yet far from the target of $30 billion".

Further, the two sides put the increase in the volume of road and rail transit on the agenda.

Bazrpash also made suggestions regarding holding a tripartite meeting of foreign ministries of Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan in order to increase the role of transit corridors in the economic relations of the three countries. 

Turkey is the third trading partner of the Islamic Republic of Iran in exports and imports, and the volume of trade between the two countries has been increasing after the pandemic.

In the end, Bazrpash informed of holding the 29th 'Iran, Turkey Joint Economic Cooperation Commission' in Tehran. 

In July 2022, Tehran hosted the seventh meeting of the Iran-Turkey Supreme Council of Economic Cooperation when Ayatollah Raisi and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other high-ranking officials met to discuss solutions to improve relations between Tehran and Ankara in various areas.